Steering device for motor-vehicles.



D. .I. SANDHAM.

STEERING DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION man NOV. 28. 1913.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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. J. SANDHAM.

STEERING DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28, 19l3.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

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inn-mm min-ME am/Ton Javz'aZeYaIrepZv az'zim WITNESSES ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH 60., WASHINGTON, D. c.

DAVID JOSEPH SANDI-IAll/I, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

STEERING DEVICE FOR MOTOR- VEHIOLES.

Application filed November 28, 1913.

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that 1, DAVID JosEPI-I SAND- HAM, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and 1mproved Steering Device for Motor-Vehicles,

of which the following is a. full, clear, andexact description. I

This invention relates to carriages and wagons and has particular reference to steering devices for automobiles or other vehicles.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a steering device of substantially universal application to all known types of vehicles; that is to say, my steering devices are adapted to be readily applied by any mechanic to practically any vehicle running gear now in use or type of vehicles now being made. The universality of application of the improvement to known vehicles is emphasized furthermore by the facilitv with which I may apply the steering shaft or hand mechanism to the main portions thereof irrespective of the type of vehicle or shape of the body thereof.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the drawings forming a. part of this specification in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a vehicle axle and the steering knuckles and wheels connected thereto, and showing one form of my invention in operative position; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the mechanism of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a different type of automobile from that of Fig. 1, and with my improvement slightly modified in form as applicable thereto; Fig. 1 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5

is a vertical section on the line 55 of Fig. 41; and Fig. 6 is a detail in front elevation showing a slightly further modification of my invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I show at 10 a vehicle axle of anv suitable form or construction, to the heads 11 of which are pivoted any usual or well known form of steering knuckles 12 on vertical axes, and to said knuckles are connected supporting wheels 13.

By my improvement I dispense with the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented nee. as, rare.

Serial No. 803,540.

arms which usually extend forwardly from the upper portions of the steering knuckles, and in lieu thereof I connect, in any suitable rigid manner to the upper end of each steering knuckle, a gear 11 of any suitable type, but shown herein as a bevel gear. A pair of brackets 15, or hangers, constructed 111 a' manner to conform to the axle 10, are clamped thereto not far from the heads 11, and said brackets constitute bearing supports for. shaft elements 16 and 17, each having at its outer end a bevel gear 18 meshing with the aforesaid gear 14. Said shaft elements 16 and 17 are adapted to be controlled as to rotation preferably in opposite directions by any suitable mechanism including a steering post 19 which may be of any suitable length and adapted to ex tend in any desired direction within reach of the operator of the vehicle. Said steering post 19 has at its lower end a gear 20" of any suitable form, shown herein as a bevel gear, and adapted to control the operation of said shaft elements 16 and 17 either directly or indirectly according to the type of vehicle to which my improvement may be attached. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, said gear 20 is in mesh with the corresponding gear 21 secured adjustably at any desired position along either of the elements 16 and 17 for instance, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, to the element 17 substantially midway of its ends. The rotation of one shaft element with respect to the other is determined by any suitable direction changing devices such as gears 22 and 23 connected respectively tothe elements 16 and 17 and having an idler 24: between them. This device/may be supported in any suitable manner upon a bracket or hanger 25 carried by the axle 10. It will follow, therefore, that both steering knuckles and wheels will be caused to be turned laterally simultaneously in the direction corresponding to the direction of rotation of the steering post 19, conforming in this respect to the usual practice. Instead of using the gear 21, I may connect the steering post, or any suitable shaft serving its purpose, directly to one of the members of the direction changing gearing supported on the bracket 25, as shown in Figs. 3 and 41, or, in some instances the steering shaft might be connected to any other moving part of the device.

Referring again to Figs. 3 and 4}: which.

illustrate a different type of automobile, one in which a spring is mounted directly above the front axle, tli'esh'aft elements 16 and 17 which have direct gearingconnection through the steering knuckle gears 14 are of a differentcharacter specifically from the corresponding shaftsabove de scribed, being shorter and'operated from-a countershaft composed of elements 16 and 17?. These last mentioned elements are connectediby: a reversing device including gears '221and23 connected by any intermediate gear :as above described. The Shaft ele- :ments 1S and 17 ,:as:shown best in Fig. 4,

"operate in a position :paralle'l tobut atone (side :of the vertical plane of -the axle 1O and vehicle spring 26,: and' said elements are connected @to st'he :iirst mentioned shaft elements i111 any suitable manner as, for instance, by imeans i of pairs of spur gears 27.

lhe1shaftielemeiits 16 :and 17 furthermore aresupported upoii hangeis or brackiets' 28. secured in any suitable manner to the axle 10.

InLFig. 6-isshownan adaptation-of the device having a number of distinct advantages includingthe following:'Tlie gear 14, flSbGfOI'edQSCIlbBd, is connectedto the steering knuckle 12 and is controlled in its rotation by a gear 18 connected to a shaft :ele-

ment 216. The axle head 11' in this iii- -stanceprovides two-spaced bearings 29 and '30lforthe'knuckle, and onits inner face, ad

jacent the upper bearing 29, is provided a conical socket 31 into which is fitted the conical bearing end of the shaft 16. By

this means "the bracket 15 carried by the axle 10 is relievedof a large amount of :lateral or torsional bearing of theshaft 16" It will be 18 :and its opposite 'end clamped between :the members of the hanger 15. Tlie'spring 32 may be adjusted for any suitable torsional tension, and acting both torsionally and longitudinally, serves two purposes;

iirstptoprevent any rattling which might take place between the gears when the steering post is'in'its neutral position, and secondly, to keep the shaft securely seated in the bearing socket 3i and the gear 18' in mesh withthe gear l l. To compensate for any wear which may take place, and also to assist in the adjustment of the parts, the

shaft element may be provided with an adustment, such as is shown at 33, comprising a=threaded pin 3st having adjustable engagement with'a threaded socket \Vhen the shaft-elements are adjusted, the two parts head, a-steering knuckle pivoted to said head on a vertical axis, a shaft element supported upon the axle and substantially parallel thereto, a gear connected to the knuckle, a

gear connected to the shaft element and -nieshing with said knuckle gear, the end of said shaft element being journaled in a hearng in the head of the axle, and means to adjust the shaft element longitudinally and "maintain it in said end bearing.

2. In a steering device, the combination of an axle-having a head, a steering knuckle pivoted upon said head, a shaft element adj aceiit the axle, a two-part hanger connected 'totheaxle and supporting said shaft element, gear connections between the knuckle and the shaftelement, and a spring having one end connected between the parts of the said hanger and serving at its other end to maintain said gear connections in proper mesh.

In testimony whereof I have s gned my name to this-specification iii the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DAVID JOSEPH SANDHAlVI. WVitnesses:

GEO. L. BnnLnn, PHILIP D. ROLLHAUS.

lfmmieseoiichis patent may ;be obtainedtfor'five cents each,;:by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

washingtongDac. 

